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via General Aviation News

The FAA, in partnership with the National Weather Service and the Department of Defense, has released an updated edition of the Aviation Weather Handbook.

Published by the FAA Safety Team, the handbook is designed to support pilots, dispatchers, and aviation professionals with current guidance on aviation weather products, forecasting, and interpretation. The updated version reflects changes in weather technology, graphics, forecasting tools, and operational practices since the previous release. The handbook is available as a free download through the FAA and is intended to complement existing FAA weather training and reference materials.

» Full Story: General Aviation News

iFlightPlanner Comment:

As weather products and interpretation guidance continue to evolve, iFlightPlanner will continue monitoring weather resources and operational changes to help ensure pilots have access to current weather tools and information throughout the flight planning process.

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via AVweb

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation unanimously advanced the Mental Health in Aviation Act, moving the bipartisan legislation another step forward.

The bill is designed to modernize the FAA’s approach to mental health and medical certification for pilots and air traffic controllers. The legislation would require the FAA to update medical guidance, expand Aviation Medical Examiner training, conduct annual reviews, consult with experts, and support public information campaigns aimed at reducing stigma around mental health in aviation. The measure follows House passage of related legislation and continued industry attention on improving access to care without creating unnecessary professional barriers.

» Full Story: AVweb

In anticipation of the large number of aircraft operating to and from areas hosting major sporting and entertainment events, the FAA has published updated procedures in its Domestic Notices valid from April 16, 2026 to enhance safety and minimize air traffic delays.

• April 13-19, 2026: SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo
• April 23-27, 2026: NASCAR Jack Link's 500
• May 21-24, 2025: Indianapolis 500
• May 23-25: NASCAR Coca-Cola 600
• June 3-7, 2026: NASCAR Firekeepers Casino 400

THESE PROCEDURES MAY BE REVISED OR UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT.  PILOTS SHOULD CHECK NOTICES AND TRAFFIC ADVISORIES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE TO ENSURE THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION. THESE NOTICES DO NOT SUPERCEDE RESTRICTIONS PERTAINING TO THE USE OF AIRSPACE CONTAINED IN FDC NOTICES.

Official airport, navigation and chart data for the FAA's 28-day AIRAC cycle beginning April 16, 2026 became current today as of 09:01Z.  This includes updated georeferenced data for airport diagrams and instrument approach procedures available in iFlightPlanner for iPad and iFlightPlanner for iPhone.

Anytime you access iFlightPlanner or iFlightPlanner for AOPA from your desktop, laptop, or smartphone browser you can be confident you're seeing the most current and accurate data available.

To ensure iFlightPlanner is current on your iPhone or iPad, simply tap "Check for Updates" in the upper-left corner of the Downloads tab.  Each app will quickly tell you which packages need to be updated!

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via General Aviation News

The FAA plans to transition to its new NOTAM system on April 18, 2026, with the changeover scheduled between midnight and 4am EDT.

During the maintenance window, NOTAMs active before the transition will remain available through normal distribution channels, though the FAA recommends using FNS NOTAM search for the most timely and accurate information. After the switchover, NOTAMs from FNS and third-party providers will flow through the NOTAM Management Service. 

» Full Story: General Aviation News

iFlightPlanner Comment:

iFlightPlanner has transitioned to the FAA’s new NOTAM Management Service and will deploy updates accordingly across our flight planning platforms, including iFlightPlanner for iPad and iFlightPlanner for iPhone.

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iFlightPlanner for iPad and iFlightPlanner for iPhone users may now download airport and navigation data as well as aeronautical charts, georeferenced airport diagrams and terminal procedures for the FAA Data Cycle that goes into effect on April 16, 2026.  Simply tap the button in the upper-left corner of the Downloads tab to "Check For Updates."

Pilots using iFlightPlanner for AOPA or iFlightPlanner on their desktop, laptop, or mobile device will see iFlightPlanner automatically make the transition to the new data at 9:01Z on April 16.

via General Aviation News

The FAA has expanded approval for Swift Fuels’ 100R unleaded avgas, adding 88 engine makes and 840 engine models to the approved model list under the company’s supplemental type certificate.

The move marks another step in the industry’s transition away from 100LL, while Swift continues work toward approval for additional high-compression engines that still require broader certification. Swift’s lower-octane UL94 fuel remains available at more than 100 airports, while 100R continues moving toward wider adoption.

» Full Story: General Aviation News

iFlightPlanner Comment:

iFlightPlanner supports UL94 and other fuel types as part of our comprehensive fuel price dataset distributed to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Directory, as well as platforms like SkyVector, AeroQuote, Hamilton AI, SurfOS, CharterHub, and more. While we do not yet track 100R pricing and availability, we’ll continue monitoring its rollout alongside other unleaded avgas developments across the general aviation market.

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U.S. aviation fuel prices moved sharply higher in March, with broad-based increases across major fuel types nationwide, driven in part by ongoing developments in the Middle East.

National JET A Full Service averaged $7.64 in March, representing an increase of $1.23 (19.2%) compared to February. Excluding Alaska and Hawaii, Lower-48 JET A Full Service averaged $7.59, up $1.26 (19.9%) compared to February.

National 100LL pricing also moved higher in March. 100LL Full Service averaged $6.80, an increase of $0.38 (5.9%) compared to February, while 100LL Self Service averaged $5.69, up $0.25 (4.7%), reflecting an approximate 16% savings where self-serve options are available, up about 1% from February.

For MOGAS and UL94, pricing also moved slightly higher in March 2026. UL94 Self Service averaged $6.88, up $0.01 (0.1%), while MOGAS averaged $4.73, up $0.06 (1.3%), with both fuels continuing to show limited and highly regional availability nationwide.

REQUEST FULL REPORT

This report summarizes U.S. aviation fuel price trends for March 2026, based on pricing data collected directly by iFlightPlanner from 3,347 fixed base operators (FBOs) and fuel service providers (FSPs) across the United States. All prices reflect reported retail prices at the time of confirmation. This data is distributed to leading aviation organizations and platforms, including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), AeroQuote, Hamilton AI, SkyVector, SurfOS, CharterHub, and more.

Want the U.S. Fuel Price Trends Report delivered right to your inbox? Please contact us.

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